Ten Study Tips to Get You Through Finals

Before we say “adios” to spring semester classes and say “hola” to finals week, it’s only right to give some study tips that might raise your chances of acing your exams.

Tip #1
What you might want to do before you start studying for your finals is to make a list of classes that you want to spend the most and the least amount of time on, depending on how important each class is, or how difficult the material is. This way you can spend more time studying for a class you have trouble with.

Tip #2
You can’t memorize the whole book the night before the final. Even Einstein wouldn’t have been able to do it! And, by doing that, are you actually learning anything? Think about it for a second.

Photo by Tia Mona Greene

Tip #3
Have you realized that when you hear a song on radio a couple of times, the next time it plays, you know the lyrics to it? Believe me, if you read your notes at least 3 times, everything you read will come back in your mind.

Tip #4
As a child, many of us wrote on chalk boards and that is how we learned our alphabets and numbers. Sometimes, when you write down your material, it is much easier for your mind to memorize it.

Tip #5
Often, we get so nervous before the exam that we end up forgetting everything we learned. Therefore, try taking self-tests. Time yourself while you take the test and note down what you know and what you still need to work on.

Tip #6
“All-Nighter.” How many times have you heard your friends use that word? From my personal experience, I would never suggest anyone to pull an all-nighter! You might be learning extra material by pulling one, but during the exam, you brain will not have the capability to remember anything and will lose its ability for alertness. Lack of sleep makes your brain not function well. Believe me when I say this!

Tip #7
Reading through your notes and jotting down new ideas you want to remember a few minutes before the exam is never a good idea! Whatever you learn during that time just messes up your brain and makes you forget everything you learned previously. This also increases the feeling of desperation, which leads to panic and then to test anxiety.

Tip #8
Many students use their laptops for all their assignments and also for studying. But let’s be honest here, how many times are we being distracted by the Internet? For example, were you researching the stock market and ended up on a “How to make chocolate brownies” video on YouTube? Try keeping yourself away from your phone and laptop while you’re studying as much as you can. You will end up learning faster and better.

Tip #9
Always remember that your brain needs a few minutes to relax before it starts absorbing all of your notes again. Take a 10-minute break at least after every hour! Reward yourself for dedicating an hour of your life to your studies. Seriously, you deserve it! If you continue without taking breaks after a certain time, your brain would give up, your eyes would start hurting, and you won’t understand anything.

Tip #10
Find your study zone. Everyone has a specific place where they best concentrate. Some prefer to be isolated in a room, so that they don’t get disturbed. Others find the sound of people and music in the background soothing while trying to concentrate.